XC70 Prop shaft CV joint?
 

I have a 2006 XC70 D5 auto (geartronic) that I have owned for 11 years – it still only has 60K on the clock. It’s been pretty reliable – bar the odd electrical gremlin (water ingress into the CEM etc).

However, it’s recently began to make a metallic 'ringing' noise – (which I initially thought was some tools vibrating together in the boot) – which comes and goes, similar to metal on metal vibrating together and seems, from the driver’s seat to come from the centre front of the car. If I reverse I can get a ‘clank’, ‘clank’ noise – a ‘slow’ version of what I hear now and again while driving.

It feels when accelerating gently that something is ‘binding’ up – similar to a failing CV joint where it partially seizes and releases. However, the front drive shafts are fine as are the front/rear wheel bearings. The rear pads and discs are new as are the handbrakes shoes, springs and retainers. When slowing down on overrun I can detect a very small vibration through the steering wheel (and possibly the car). More often than not the noise is apparent when coasting or on overrun.

The AWD system is working – I’ve done the heavy acceleration off wet grass and no front wheel spin - so I’m not immediately concerned regarding the angle gear.

However, today after a lengthy test drive I jacked the car up and grasped the propeller shaft (that takes drive from the gearbox to the rear differential) at the front CV joint (gearbox end) and can move the shaft up and down within the CV joint and when doing so can produce a metallic ringing noise.
I’m assuming the prop shaft should have no side to side play at the point where it enters the front CV joint – and the sensation of the drive train ‘binding up’ mentioned earlier could fit with a failed CV joint on the prop shaft.

The front CV joint on the prop shaft is next to the exhaust/cat and subject to heat which over time, can apparently, bake the grease in the CV joint.
Has anyone else had a similar issue/noise from the front CV joint on the prop shaft on the XC70 – and if so were you able to repair the shaft with a new front joint or was it a new/reconditioned/salvage prop shaft?

Thank you

Hi.
I have experianced exactly the same issue. I had a whinning for a few weeks when driving with the windows open. Then one day there was a iregular clanking from under the car. Went straight to a garage and they jacked it up and showed me that the propshaft at the front was loose when moved from side to side. Looking on you tube there are a couple of videos showing the transverse gearbox berings smashed. I am currently looking for a thread that will advise if this can be fixed on the drive by jacking the car up and removing the trans drve. If not its a scrapper!

Mine turned out to be a failed front CV joint on the prop shaft (the grease had ‘baked’ and lost all its lubricating properties).

The front CV joint is serviceable but the centre support and bearing are not – so if either of these are shot you will need a replacement prop shaft.
When I got the prop shaft off I found the rear CV joint was also partially seized – so I needed a replacement. Problem is Volvo wanted over £1000 for a replacement!!!

I looked at getting a prop shaft from a breakers yard but found they also had the partially seized CV joint at the rear.

I eventually obtained a new replacement prop shaft from https://desshelleyshafts.com/

It was delivered the next day, it has serviceable front and rear CV joints and the centre support bearing is not just serviceable but has a grease nipple provided. Cost delivered was around £360 and fitted it myself. I would expect a garage would charge about an hour’s labour to remove or fit.

When fitted not only had the noise gone but the car was noticeably smoother (as it should have been given that it had been running with a partially seized rear CV joint on the prop shaft).

Now THAT makes for a Happy New Year.